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Nordic Monster Romance Series, Book One

 

Fantasy Romance

 

Date Published: October 21, 2025

 

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The Scandinavian legend of the undead draugr, Nordic guardian warriors
of treasure and the burial mounds of ancient tombs. Tropes fated mates, chosen
one and sacrifice.

As autumn descends upon the quaint Scandinavian town of Norskeby, Minnesota,
the annual Harvest Festival is on the brink of celebration. Amidst the vibrant
pumpkins and ghostly decorations, the townsfolk remain blissfully unaware of
the ancient Norse burial ground that lies beneath their feet, a resting place
of dark secrets and vengeful spirits.

Elin Bjorn, the town’s spirited yet introverted librarian, has always felt an
inexplicable pull towards the rich myths of her Scandinavian ancestors. But as
Halloween approaches, her fascination with the tales of Draugr, the vengeful
undead warriors guarding their treasures takes a dark twist.

Join Elin and Ragnor in this spellbinding tale of love, sacrifice, and the
eternal battle between light and darkness, where the true harvest lies in the
heart’s strength and the unbreakable bonds of the soul.

About the Author

Jaylee Austin

 In a whimsical corner of the universe that journey’s through the enchanting
realms of Wonderland, Jaylee Austin weaves tales that dance between the
ethereal and the imaginative.

Her desk, a canvas of creativity, is often interrupted by the playful pounces
of her two adorable companions, but none more so than Tilly, her clever alpha
pug.

With a spirited background as a retired high school English and Theater
teacher, Jaylee brought wit and warmth to the classroom, she invites readers
to leap into alternate realities where the ordinary becomes extraordinary, and
every page is a step further down the rabbit hole.

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DOC Teaser

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(Dixie Reapers MC)

Motorcycle Club Romance, Age Gap, Suspense

Date Published: October 24, 2025

 

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When a fierce heroine collides with a hardened outlaw, secrets ignite
and sparks fly.

 

Nova — I was never a part of my uncle Bats’ outlaw MC world. He kept me
far from the Dixie Reapers, convinced distance meant safety. But when my
parents died in a crash I know wasn’t an accident, I walk straight into
the world I’ve been shielded from, where every secret carries blood,
betrayal, and danger. Each step puts a bigger target on my back, but I
can’t stop. Not when the conspiracy reached higher than I ever imagined.
And then there’s Doc. He’s a risk I can’t afford, no matter
how much I want him.

Doc — I patched into the Dixie Reapers for a fresh start, not to guard the 19
year old niece of a fallen brother. As a veteran and the club’s medic, I
know how to fight, save lives, and bury temptation. But Nova’s stubborn,
reckless, and too tempting to resist. I fell fast, and hard. Once I’ve
set eyes on her, I’m not letting go. Protecting her tests me more than
any battlefield ever has, but losing her isn’t an option.

Enemies circle like vultures — dirty cops, corrupt judges, men willing to
kill to silence us. Together we uncover a deadly web of human trafficking and
murder. But in the outlaw world, justice comes at a cost. Nova is mine, and
I’ll burn the world down before I let anyone take her.


If you like possessive alpha males, gritty MC romance, heart-pounding
suspense, and age gap romances, you’re going to love Doc and
Nova’s story!


WARNING: This book contains mature themes, government corruption, human
trafficking, violence, and adult content. Reader discretion advised.

 

 

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EXCERPT

 

Nova

 

My little Honda looked pathetic among the gleaming motorcycles, like a child
who’d accidentally wandered into an adult party. I gripped the steering
wheel, knuckles white, as I scanned the Dixie Reapers clubhouse. Uncle Bats
had always warned me to stay away from this place, from his world. But Uncle
Bats was dead, and I needed answers that only his brothers might have.

The folder and notebook on my passenger seat contained everything I had left
of my mother — her research notes, newspaper clippings, and a lifetime of
suspicions that had probably gotten her killed. I picked them up, clutching
them to my chest like armor.

“You can do this, Nova,” I whispered to myself. “For Mom and
Dad.”

I took three deep breaths, counting each one the way my therapist had taught
me after the accident. Except it wasn’t an accident. I knew it
wasn’t, no matter what the police report said.

Outside, the late afternoon sun cast long shadows across the parking lot. Men
in leather cuts moved between motorcycles, their laughter and conversations a
low rumble that stopped abruptly when they noticed my car. I felt their gazes
on me, assessing, suspicious.

Uncle Bats had kept me secret from them, and while I knew of the Dixie
Reapers, I’d never been allowed to meet them. Now I was about to shatter
that barrier. The thought sent a tremor through my hands, but I shoved the
fear down deep where it couldn’t reach my face.

I stepped out of the car, my sensible flats crunching on the gravel. Five feet
tall in my best shoes, I’d never felt smaller than I did walking toward
that building. The folder and notebook clutched to my chest were my only
shield against their stares.

“Hey, darlin’, you lost?” called one man, his tone somewhere
between amused and suspicious. Tattoos covered his arms and disappeared
beneath the leather vest emblazoned with the Dixie Reapers patch.

I kept walking, eyes forward, spine straight the way my mother had taught me.
“Look them in the eye, Nova,” she’d say. “Don’t
let them think you’re afraid, even when you are.”

The surrounding conversations died one by one, replaced by silence and the
weight of two dozen stares. I could feel them taking in my brown hair, my
hazel eyes, my five-foot-nothing frame that had never intimidated anyone. I
probably looked like a strong wind could blow me over, but they didn’t
know about the steel underneath. They didn’t know I was
Mary-Jane’s daughter.

The clubhouse door loomed ahead, guarded by a mountain of a man with a graying
beard and hands the size of dinner plates. His cut identified him as a full
member, not just a hang-around. He stepped directly into my path, forcing me
to stop or walk straight into his chest.

“Clubhouse is members only, sweetheart,” he said, voice like
gravel. “Whatever you’re selling, we ain’t buying.”

Tiling my chin up, I met his gaze. “I’m not selling anything. I
need to speak with whoever’s in charge.”

He chuckled, but there was no humor in it. “That so? And what business
would a little thing like you have with the Dixie Reapers?”

The men behind me had moved closer, forming a loose semicircle. I could feel
them at my back, curiosity and suspicion rolling off them in waves.

“My name is Nova Treemont. I’m Bats’ niece.”

The effect was immediate. The doorman’s expression shifted from
dismissive to shocked in an instant. A murmur rippled through the men behind
me.

“Bullshit,” someone whispered.

“Bats never had family,” said another.

“He had a sister,” another voice said.

The doorman’s eyes narrowed, searching my face. “Bats never
mentioned no niece.”

“He wouldn’t have.” I met his gaze. “He kept me out
of… all this. For protection.” I gestured at the clubhouse with
my free hand. “But he’s gone now, and I need help. The kind only
the Dixie Reapers can provide.”

The doorman studied me for what felt like an eternity, his gaze moving from my
face to the items I clutched and back again. I could almost see the gears
turning behind his eyes, weighing the possibility I was telling the truth
against the risk of letting a stranger into their sanctuary.

“Wait here.” He turned to enter the clubhouse.

I stood rooted to the spot, aware of the bikers still watching me. I could
feel the curiosity and hostility aimed my way. I kept my breathing even,
pretending I couldn’t feel their stares boring into my back.

The doorman returned a minute later, holding the door open. “Come
on,” he said gruffly.

I stepped past him into a world my uncle had spent his life shielding me from.
The air was thick with cigarette smoke that clung to the furniture and walls.
The smell of beer and whiskey undercut everything, along with something else
— something distinctly male and dangerous.

Pool balls clacked on a table where a game paused mid-shot as players turned
to stare. Behind a long bar, bottles gleamed under dim lights. Motorcycle
memorabilia covered the walls — license plates, photos.

It should have felt alien, this place my blood relation had called home.
Instead, deep inside me, something whispered recognition. As if some part of
me had been waiting to find this place my whole life.

The doorman nudged me forward with a hand that could have wrapped around my
entire upper arm. “This way.” He guided me deeper into the
clubhouse. “They’re waiting.”

I followed, clutching my mother’s research to my chest, aware that I was
crossing a threshold I could never uncross. Behind me, I heard someone say
softly, “Mary-Jane’s kid? Jesus Christ.”

They’d known my mother then. At least some of them had known, and
they’d stayed away all these years. Just as Bats had intended.

The thought steadied me as I walked toward whatever waited ahead. I
wasn’t just Nova Treemont anymore. I was Mary-Jane’s daughter,
Bats’ niece. And I had questions that needed answering, no matter how
dangerous the answers might be.

The back room was darker than the main area. Five men sat around a table,
their faces half in shadow, their cuts marking them as the officers of the
Dixie Reapers. I stood before them, a girl in jeans and a cardigan, feeling
like I was facing a firing squad. But I’d come too far to falter now.

The doorman who’d escorted me in gave a brief nod to the man at the head
of the table before stepping back, positioning himself in front of the closed
door. Message received: I wasn’t leaving until they decided I could.

“So,” said the man at the head of the table. His neatly trimmed
gray beard and dark eyes seemed sharp beneath heavy brows. The patches on his
cut read, “President — Savior.” “You claim to be
Bats’ niece.”

It wasn’t a question, but I answered anyway. “I am Bats’
niece. My mother was Mary-Jane Treemont, his younger sister.”

A muscle in the President’s jaw twitched. “Bats was a brother to
us for a long ass time. Never once mentioned a niece.”

“He was protecting me. Keeping his family separate from… this
life.”

One of the other men — younger, with a Vice President patch — snorted.
“Convenient story, sweetheart. Got any proof?”

I unzipped my bag and pulled out a small photo album, sliding it across the
table. “Page three. That’s my mother and uncle at her college
graduation.”

I watched as the President flipped to the page, his expression unchanging as
he studied the photo of a much younger Bats with his arm around my mother.

“Could be anyone.” The VP’s tone lacked conviction.

“Check the next page,” I said. “That’s from my
parents’ wedding. My mother, my father, and uncle.”

The President studied the photo longer this time before passing the album to
the man next to him. It made its way around the table, each man taking a
moment to examine the proof of a side of Bats they’d never known.

“So you’re his niece.” The President slid the album back
across the table. “What do you want from us?”

I took a deep breath and placed my folder on the table. “My parents died
several weeks ago in what was ruled a car accident. Their car went off the
road. Police said my father lost control.”

“And you don’t believe that.” The VP watched me with
narrowed eyes.

“No,” I said firmly. “I don’t. My mother was an
investigative journalist. She was working on a story.” I opened the
folder, spreading out newspaper clippings and photocopied notes across the
scarred wood. “She was investigating connections between Magnolia County
officials and organized crime. Money laundering, illegal gambling, possibly
human trafficking.”

The men exchanged glances, their expressions giving nothing away. I’d
honestly expected some sort of reaction, especially since this was happening
in their territory. My uncle had always been clear that while he may be an
outlaw, some things weren’t tolerated.

“Three days before she died, she called me,” I continued.
“She said she’d found something big. Something that would blow the
whole thing wide open. She wouldn’t tell me details over the phone, said
she’d show me everything when they came to visit that weekend.” My
voice cracked slightly. “They never made it.”

I pulled out a copy of the police report, pointing to highlighted sections.
“The accident report says the car was traveling at high speed, that my
father lost control. But my father never drove fast. He was cautious,
meticulous. And the witness statements are vague. No one actually saw the car
go off the road.”

“Accidents happen.” An older member with a gray ponytail watched
me intently. “Doesn’t mean someone killed your parents.”

I met his gaze directly. “After the funeral, our house was broken into.
Nothing valuable was taken, but my mother’s home office was ransacked.
Her computer was gone. All her files.”

That got their attention. The men straightened, exchanging glances that spoke
volumes.

“I managed to salvage these.” I gestured to the documents on the
table. “She kept backups in a safety deposit box. But it’s not
everything. There are references to evidence she had that I can’t
find.”

The President leaned forward, resting his forearms on the table. “And
what exactly do you expect us to do about this, Ms. Treemont?”

“I’ve tried the legal route,” I said. “I’ve been
to the police, the FBI, even a private investigator. No one will touch it. The
case is closed.” I swallowed hard. “My uncle –Bats — once
told my mother that if she ever needed help, real help, she should come to his
brothers. That you take care of your own.”

“Bats said that?” The VP’s eyebrows raised.

“He did,” I confirmed. “And with him gone, you’re all
I have left.”

The President’s eyes were unreadable as he studied my face. “You
understand what you’re asking? If what you’re saying is true,
you’re talking about going up against powerful people. The kind that can
make a car accident happen.”

“I know.” My voice came out steadier than I felt. “But they
killed my parents. They’ve been watching me too. Cars following me home.
Strange calls. Last week someone broke into my apartment.” I pulled up
my sleeve, revealing a jagged raw wound on my forearm. “I surprised him.
He had a knife.”

That drew a low curse from one of the men who hadn’t spoken yet.

“Before she died, my mother dug into something dangerous — something
big enough to get her killed. These bastards still tried to bury it, but I
swore I’d drag the truth into the light and make them pay.” My
gaze cut across the table, meeting each man’s eyes in turn.
“Justice for my parents is the only thing that matters.”

The silence that followed was heavy, broken only by the distant sounds of the
main room beyond the door.

Finally, the President gathered up my mother’s papers, tapping them into
a neat stack. “Wait outside.”

The doorman stepped forward, opening the door for me. I hesitated, reluctant
to leave my mother’s research behind.

“We’ll return these,” the President said, seeing my
hesitation. “Go on now.”

I had no choice but to comply. The doorman escorted me back to the main room,
indicating a worn leather couch against the wall. “Sit tight.”

I perched on the edge of the couch, feeling the weight of curious stares from
the men scattered around the room. No one approached me, but I could hear the
whispers.

“… Bats’ niece…”

“… Mary-Jane’s kid…”

“… looks just like her mother…”

That last comment made me look up sharply, trying to identify who had spoken.
An older member nodded at me from the bar, raising his beer bottle slightly.
“Knew your mama when she was younger than you. Bats always said she was
the smart one in the family. Said she could sniff out a lie from a mile
away.”

A lump formed in my throat. I’d never heard anyone talk about my mother
like that, like they’d known her personally. “Did you know her
well?”

The man shrugged. “Well enough. Your uncle always spoke highly of her
investigative skills. Said she could’ve been FBI if she hadn’t
been so damn stubborn about working outside the system.”

That sounded like my mother. And it sounded like something Uncle Bats would
say.

I sat straighter, hope kindling in my chest for the first time since I’d
arrived. Maybe they would help me after all. Maybe I’d finally get the
answers I’d been seeking for several weeks.

I just had to convince them I was worth the risk.

I traced the edge of my mother’s notebook with my fingertip, counting
the seconds that stretched into minutes. The leather couch beneath me had seen
better days, cracked and worn by years of men larger than me shifting their
weight. Around the room, bikers pretended not to watch me while doing exactly
that. I wondered if Uncle Bats had sat here, on this very couch, planning runs
or celebrating victories I’d never know about.

My gaze drifted to a wall of photos near the bar — men in Dixie Reapers cuts,
arms slung around each other’s shoulders, grins splitting their bearded
faces. I rose slowly, drawn to search for my uncle’s face among them. A
few members tensed as I moved, but none stopped me.

There he was. Younger, with fewer lines around his eyes, his arm thrown around
another member, looking more relaxed than I’d ever seen him during his
rare visits to our home. He’d always been on edge around us, as if
expecting trouble to follow him through our door.

Now I understood why.

“He was a good man,” said a voice behind me.

I turned to find the older member who’d spoken to me earlier, the one
who’d known my mother.

“One of our best,” he continued. “Loyal to the bone.”

“But not loyal enough to tell you about his family,” I said
softly.

The old biker’s mouth quirked in a half-smile. “That was his
loyalty to you, girl. Keeping you separate. Safe.” He nodded toward the
back room. “Not many of us manage that trick.”

Before I could respond, the door to the back room opened. The President
emerged, followed by the others. The room fell silent as they approached.

“Ms. Treemont,” the President said, his voice carrying across the
now-quiet clubhouse. “We’ve discussed your situation.”

I returned to the couch, perching on its edge, hands folded in my lap to hide
their trembling. “And?”

“Bats was our brother.” The President spoke in a measured voice,
choosing each word with care. “That carries weight. But what
you’re asking involves the club in what appears to be a personal
vendetta against powerful people, based on circumstantial evidence.”

My heart sank. “It’s not just –”

He held up a hand, cutting me off. “I didn’t say we wouldn’t
help. I said you’re asking a lot.”

Hope flickered back to life in my chest.

“We’ll hear you out,” he continued. “Review what
you’ve brought us. But I can’t promise involvement beyond that.
Understand?”

I nodded quickly. “Yes. Thank you.”

“Don’t thank me yet.” His expression remained stern.
“This isn’t a democracy. I make decisions based on what’s
best for the club, not for outsiders — even ones with Bats’
blood.”

 

About the Author

Harley Wylde is an accomplished author known for her captivating MC Romances.
With an unwavering commitment to sensual storytelling, Wylde immerses her
readers in an exciting world of fierce men and irresistible women. Her works
exude passion, danger, and gritty realism, while still managing to end on a
satisfying note each time.

When not crafting her tales, Wylde spends her time brainstorming new
plotlines, indulging in a hot cup of Starbucks, or delving into a good book.
She has a particular affinity for supernatural horror literature and movies.
Visit Wylde’s website to learn more about her works and upcoming events, and
don’t forget to sign up for her newsletter to receive exclusive discounts and
other exciting perks.

Author on Facebook, Instagram, & TikTok: @harleywylde

Publisher on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and TikTok: @changelingpress

Save 15% off any order at ChangelingPress.com with code RABT15

 

 

 

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The Retirees Virtual Book Tour

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Retirement has never felt so deadly

 

Cozy Mystery

 

Date Published: January 5, 2026

Publisher: Orrplace Press

 

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Welcome to the idyllic yet eccentric retirement community of The
Ocean’s Edge—where retirement has never felt so deadly.

Disco is dead, there’s a serial killer on the loose, the coffin dodgers
are solving cold cases, and only the neighborhood cat knows where all the
proverbial bodies are buried.

When sharp-tongued sugar heiress Diana is ousted from the empire she helped
build, she retreats to a posh 55+ paradise expecting peace, maybe even a pool
boy. Instead, she finds a ragtag group of retirees with a knack for solving
cold cases—and a disturbing knack for attracting new ones. She quickly
finds herself entangled with this quirky yet capable team of senior sleuths: a
psychic, tarot-reading twin duo, a retired detective, a conspiracy-minded tech
guru, and a nurse who might just talk to animals.

Among tarot cards, a talking cat, and dark web dives, this misfit crew
uncovers more than just bingo night secrets. Because in a place this sunny,
the shadows run deep, and someone at The Ocean’s Edge has blood on their
hands.

As the group begins investigating cold cases, darker truths emerge, uncovering
clues that tie back to mysterious pasts, hidden traumas, and residents with
more secrets than memories.

Hilarious, heartwarming, and deliciously twisted, The Retirees is a witty,
tightly woven, charming, cozy mystery that reminds us it’s never too
late for redemption, reinvention, or revenge—and that sometimes the most
unexpected heroes come with walkers, wisdom, and wildly colorful
personalities.

The Retirees tablet

​EXCERPT

Prologue 

Mr. Anderson

Disco is dead—not just musically or lyrically. Disco is actually dead. To be fair, disco did make a comeback for a time. Musicians and DJs enjoyed mixing seventies and eighties melodies with a hacked mash-up of manufactured noises, mumbo jumbo, or whatever they pawn off as music these days. They’d add vocals, edit with computer programs, and label it retro. 

Disco is dead—literally. Centered in the clubhouse ceiling, a thirty-inch disco ball hangs delightfully, ready to dazzle all who enter as light dances across the round styrofoam spectacle. The tiny mirrored squares reflect light, creating shimmering art along the walls as the sun rises through the floor-to-ceiling windows. The elderly residents revere this flamboyant orb like the Romans revered Venus, the Goddess of Love, every first Saturday of the month. That’s when the disco dance shindig kicks off, but if you ask me, these coffin dodgers would dance until dawn beneath this stupid silver sphere every day that ends with the letter y if their bodies would allow. 

A bloody butcher knife protrudes from the right side of the silvery globe as blood pools below. Blood flows slowly from the dead body beneath it, like a tiny river, toward the front entrance. Home builders in South Florida cut every corner to save a dollar, so you won’t find an establishment with level flooring south of Orlando. The body lies dead on the dance floor, eyes wide open, staring up toward the mirrored ball dangling from above. Even in death, the body continues to worship that giant glittery meatball.

I could captivate you with a story about how this all came to be. I’d love to share it with you. I’m always the first to stumble upon the deceased. I’d be eager to explain everything to the police in meticulous detail when they arrive. I’m perceptive, hypervigilant, and a perfectionist. I notice everything but say nothing. Like wallpaper or antique furniture, no one fully recognizes my charm, character, or priceless value. This group of mismatched septuagenarians pays little attention to me. They’re self-absorbed and enamored by boring, trifling bits of bygone eras. So I generally keep to myself. Occasionally, someone will offer a “Hello” or “How are you today?” It’s mostly small talk. Often, I don’t bother answering their questions. Most mornings, I hold my head high and concentrate on my morning routine, striding by and settling down by the window to watch the hummingbirds enjoy their breakfast nectar at the feeder.  

My name is Roger, but I’m known around here as Mr. Anderson. That’s what they call me, anyway. 

To fully understand my story in the present, it’s essential to update you about my past. My mom gave me up when I was barely six weeks old, and an old man named Monty took me in and cared for me. I grew up feeling happy and loved. Recently, he passed away from what the police described as natural causes. I’m skeptical about that. Let’s put a pin in this for now. We’ll come back to it later. 

More about me. I have a few friends—well, only one, actually. Her name is Carol, and she’s the nurse here at The Ocean’s Edge. Sometimes she sits beside me and shares stories about the cakes and pies she helped bake when her mom owned a pastry shop in Jensen Beach. I love her as much as I adore Key lime pie. The others tend to shy away from me when I pass by, ignoring me as though I have nothing important to offer. That’s simply not the case. I’m a good listener and a great companion. Heck, I was a brave sailor and navigator of the often treacherous Florida seas in my youth.

Nevertheless, I’ve lived here for nearly sixteen years, longer than most of these kooks. I’m much more than just a spectator; I’m a music enthusiast. I enjoy music that evokes emotions—love, heartbreak, or bliss. I’ve come to appreciate their fascination with Frank Sinatra and Cher; after all, they are legends. I genuinely believe in doing things “My Way,” and I believe there is “life after love.” However, some of the Motown funk that these folks enjoy feels too dated for me. I don’t understand why some old-timers remain so stuck in the past. 

Taylor Swift is my favorite artist. I truly admire a self-made woman. She’s folksy, she’s pop, and she writes her own music. Her lyrics are relevant and resonate with the moment. She might even be more talented than—dare I say—Diana Ross or Donna Summer. For the record, I’m also a big fan of Michael Jackson’s musical talent. However, I can no longer idolize him—you know why.

Over time, I’ve come to recognize that people often return to the moments in their lives when they were happiest, and music from that era elicits all those significant primal feelings: joy, freedom, and happiness. 

I’m the curious type, although I fully understand that curiosity kills. I’ve got countless secrets I could share. I know where all the proverbial bodies are buried. However, no one cares to listen, mainly because they’re too wrapped up in neighborhood tittle-tattle or their mysterious geriatric ailments that seem to multiply daily. Most likely, it’s because no one at The Ocean’s Edge can fully comprehend my language. And for the most part, I understand their apprehension. Why would any of these old geezers take the time to get to know me? I’m just a cat. 

 

Available Now for Pre-order

The Retirees

http://www.amazon.com/Retirees-Retirement-never-felt-deadly-ebook/dp/B0FHG3HZSM

 

http://www.leahorr.com

 

 

About the Author

Leah Orr
Leah Orr resides with her husband and three daughters in Jensen Beach,
Florida. Leah is an Amazon #1 best-selling mystery novelist of The She Shed.
She has written 14 books and sold over 100,000 copies worldwide.

Leah donates the profits from her books to the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation.
Upon learning that her daughter Ashley was diagnosed with Cystic Fibrosis
(while still in the womb), Orr knew she wanted to do something special. With
some input from her mother and three daughters, it was decided that she’d
write books to benefit the CF Foundation. The Orr Family has raised over
$1,400,000 in the past 22 years to help find a cure.

Leah’s mission to help cure Cystic Fibrosis has been featured on ABC’s
Health Watch, NBC Today South Florida, ABC Today South Florida, CBS South
Florida, CBS This Morning Virginia, NBC The 10! Show Philadelphia, Fox 4 News
Morning Blend, The Daily Buzz, and Lifetime TV’s The Balancing Act. She
has also been featured in publications such as Forbes Magazine, Medical News
Today, The Boston Globe, The Miami Herald
, and The Sun-Sentinel. Her daughter
Ashley was also a recipient of Oprah’s generosity in The Big Give.

Popular mysteries by Leah Orr include: The Executive Suite, The Bartender, The
Champagne Toast, The She Shed
, and The Fruitcake. Her popular children’s
books include: Messy Tessy, It Wasn’t Me, and Goodnight, Molly.

Orr and her husband were recently nominated as one of Florida’s Finest
Couples by the CF Foundation and included in “In The Spotlight” on
CFF.org. Leah was also nominated as one of Broward County’s top 100
Outstanding Women. Orr grew up in Boston, MA, and graduated from the
University of Miami.

 

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Class War Then and Now Virtual Book Tour

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Political Nonfiction

 

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For nearly fifty years, America’s working and middle classes have
been under relentless attack. Wages have stagnated, inequality has soared, and
the vast majority now lives paycheck to paycheck—while trillions of
dollars flow upward into the pockets of the wealthiest few. Class War, Then
and Now
is both a searing indictment of this economic and political order and
an impassioned call to arms for a new left rooted in class struggle,
solidarity, and socialist values.

Drawing on a decade of essays and articles originally published in outlets
such as Dissent, New Politics, CounterPunch, Socialist Forum, Truthout, and
Common Dreams,
historian Chris Wright examines the deep roots of
capitalism’s crises and the failures of the contemporary left to
confront them. In sharp, accessible prose, Wright tackles:

The centrality of class struggle in building a movement that can unite working
people

Why identity politics, while important, must not overshadow the fight
against capitalism

The overlooked necessity of nuclear power in addressing climate change

Lessons from labor history, from Jimmy Hoffa to modern union battles

The catastrophic consequences of American imperialism and endless war

How organized labor remains humanity’s most universal force for
justice

 

With the urgency of a manifesto and the depth of historical scholarship,
Wright argues that only a rational, international, and truly Marxist left can
stop the United States—and the world—from sliding into neofascism
and ecological collapse.

If you care about economic justice, social reform, and the future of
democracy
, Class War, Then and Now will challenge your thinking, sharpen your
arguments, and inspire action.

Class War Then and Now tablet

EXCERPT

Preface

 

         It isn’t a secret that the world is in trouble, most ominously from ecological collapse and the ever-present possibility of nuclear war. Stated in the simplest terms, the reason is that capitalism is running amok and the left has almost no power across most of the world. Capitalism cares only about making profit; values such as environmental conservation, preservation of human and animal life, the ending of war, abolition of nuclear weapons, and human well-being count for little or nothing. The only way such values can rise to prominence is if popular movements fighting against capitalism force them onto the political agenda. But popular movements, including the labor movement, perennially lack sufficient resources to halt or reverse capitalism’s misanthropic tendencies. In the neoliberal era, this perennial problem has become more serious than ever. Hence the prospect of civilization’s collapse in our century.

         The only hope, it seems, is that the world’s descent into multidimensional crisis will itself generate the conditions for the popular majority to effectually fight back. For the sake of survival and out of disgust with the political and economic status quo, people will be compelled to join together to build oppositional movements and cultures and institutions, in fact even new modes of material production and distribution on the basis of which, eventually, a new kind of politics may arise. As the old world suffers its torturously protracted collapse, a new world might be born amidst its ashes. I have discussed the “historical logic” of this process, as well as speculated on some of the possibilities, in a book called Worker Cooperatives and Revolution: History and Possibilities in the United States (2014), using a revision of the Marxist theory of revolution to illuminate how the whole gigantic transition between modes of production, from capitalist to cooperative, might unfold. I present a summary in two essays below, “The Significance and Shortcomings of Karl Marx” and “Eleven Theses on Socialist Revolution.” The ideas may be too optimistic, but in that case humanity’s future will be very grim indeed.

         This book, to quote the Port Huron Statement of 1962, “is guided by the sense that we may be the last generation in the experiment with living.” In essence, it is an elaboration of what I take to be a consistent Marxist philosophy, the sort of philosophy that must be realized on a large scale if humanity is to have a decent future. Not all leftists will agree with everything in the book. For example, I criticize identity politics from a Marxist point of view, and I argue that feminism should prioritize materialist issues over certain “culturalist” ones (in addition to the very common, and very doctrinaire,social constructionist theorizing of gender) fashionable under the influence of postmodern academia. I also defend nuclear energy as an essential component of a transition to clean energy, a stance that isn’t popular on the left. Nor will most Marxists appreciate the revisions I’ve made to the Marxian conception of revolution. Nevertheless, I’m convinced that rationality, respect for evidence, and open-mindedness should guide our thinking. We shouldn’t remain perpetually chained to old theories, old analyses, and old prophecies that history has proved wrong. I like the slogan of the young Marx: “For a ruthless criticism of everything existing!” Leftists are hardly infallible.

         The book consists of essays and articles written between 2014 and 2024, which were published in CounterPunch, Socialist Forum, Dissent, New Politics, ROAR Magazine, Common Dreams, Dissident Voice, Sublation, Compact, and Class, Race and Corporate Power. I’ve tried to impose an order on the material by arranging it in four parts according to thematic content. Such content, too, implicitly links successive chapters. Inevitably, there is some repetition between essays, but I’ve lightly revised them to try to minimize that.

         Not all the essays are directly political. The first one, for instance, on the value of the humanities, might seem out of place in a book devoted to critiquing capitalism and defending a leftist philosophy. I’ve included it because art and the humanities are fighting an existential battle today, and in the end they represent the human spirit facing off against the spirit of commercial gain. If the former can’t find some way to put shackles on the latter, our descendants may inherit a world of ashes.

            Likewise, the inclusion of seemingly random pieces on Beethoven, classical music, Jimmy Hoffa, the authoritarianism of the U.S.’s “founding fathers,” the implicit radicalism of most working people, and other topics might be faulted, but I think it is justified by the book’s general themes of class struggle and building a left grounded in rationality and human dignity rather than woke dogmas, academic groupthink, and pop cultural mediocrity. For example, historically the left had great respect for high culture, from Bach to Balzac, the Enlightenment to modern science. The postmodern left’s scorn for the past achievements of genius (“they’re white supremacist, patriarchal, misogynistic, heteronormative, colonialist, Eurocentric!”) is but another manifestation of the left’s degeneration due to the influence of academia, post-1960s social movements, neoliberal evisceration of the labor movement, and neoliberal culture. The old left had plenty of flaws, but it also had strengths that have been lost.

         The writing in this book reflects my belief that, by and large, academic modes of writing and thinking are not necessary in order to grasp truth. They are just as likely to obscure as to illuminate. The greatest scholar in history, after all—whose 150+ books encompass linguistics, cognitive science, philosophy, evolutionary biology, history, contemporary politics, media analysis, the history of science, and other areas—is Noam Chomsky, and he rejects academic conventions in favor of clear writing, insightful thinking, and intellectual honesty. One doesn’t need endless convoluted verbiage backed by scores of citations in order, for example, to understand why gender relations are as they are, as I try to show in the article on patriarchy. Straightforward reason suffices. In fact, institutional thinking and behavior are among the greatest threats to life today, and they should be repudiated.

         In its “humanistic” philosophy expounded in a somewhat disjointed way, the book amounts to a continuation of two others that are even more unconventional: Notes of an Underground Humanist (2013) and Finding Our Compass: Reflections on a World in Crisis (2014), both available for free online. My Journal of a Dissenter (2025) contains countless summaries of good scholarship that is far too rarely read. Readers interested, on the other hand, in a more arduous interrogation of social history might enjoy a book entitled Popular Radicalism and the Unemployed in Chicago during the Great Depression (2022). The present book reproduces ideas from these others, but hopefully in a more concise and digestible way.

         Nothing is more urgent today than for us to collectively recover human values, learn from history, think critically about our society, and build international social movements to save the future for our children. I hope this book makes some small contribution to these colossal tasks.

 

 

About the Author

Chris Wright

 

 Chris Wright is a U.S. historian, author, and lecturer at Hunter College, City
University of New York
, specializing in labor history and radical political
theory.
His work explores the history of capitalism and social movements, with
a focus on building an international left capable of confronting economic
inequality, rising authoritarianism, and ecological collapse.

Wright is the author of multiple works of political nonfiction, including
Worker Cooperatives and Revolution: History and Possibilities in the United
States and Popular Radicalism
and the Unemployed in Chicago during the Great
Depression.
His newest release, Class War, Then and Now: Essays toward a New
Left, compiles a decade of essays originally published in respected left-wing
and independent outlets such as Dissent, New Politics, CounterPunch, Socialist
Forum, Compact, and Common Dreams
.

Over the years, his analysis and commentary have appeared in publications
ranging from the Washington Post to Truthout, earning him recognition for his
Marxist-informed, historically grounded critiques of capitalism and his
advocacy of a democratic socialist movement.

In addition to his academic work, Wright has written philosophical essays,
fiction, and poetry, reflecting a lifelong interest in art, music, and the
human condition. His current research and writing center on the labor
movement, anti-capitalist strategies, and the urgent need for systemic change

to address economic, political, and environmental crises.

 

Contact Links

 

Website

“X”

LinkedIn

https://independent.academia.edu/ChrisWright82

 

Purchase Link

 

Amazon

 

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Scenes From a Song Virtual Book Tour

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Scenes From a Song cover

 

Music Fiction

Date Published: 09-30-2025

Publisher: Covfefe Press

 

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 For anyone who’s ever said, “They’re playing my song!”

On
Halloween Eve, 1961, in his dingy Bronx walkup apartment, seventeen-year-old
Jimmy Welton hears the opening notes of a song in his head. Jimmy’s
still mourning his firefighter father, who taught him to play the guitar but
recently died in a house fire, leaving his family destitute. Jimmy takes this
song, about all he misses from his life now, to the New York amusement park
where he works after school. There, he meets Mark Morgan, a rebellious teen
with his own band, who eventually invites Jimmy to join them. And the rest is
rock’n roll history…
The GooseBumps become a worldwide phenomenon, and
the songs they write and sing together become the backbone of rock musical
history. And the song Jimmy first heard on Halloween, “Wrapped in Gauze”,
becomes the song that not only comforts him in that terrible time but also
comforts others: Victoria, recently divorced and dealing with an unthinkable
family tragedy; Carolyn, whose final flippant words to someone in pain can’t
be taken back; and Jack, battling back from unimaginable loss with the help of
his cheeky therapist and a song he thinks he hates.

 

SCENES
FROM A SONG
is the story of a song that makes us smile, that breaks our
hearts, that stays with us forever, and the very special band that started it
all.

 

Scenes From a Song tablet

EXCERPT

    The results were in before Victoria had prepared herself to hear them.

     Cancer! How could a boy of twelve get cancer? How was this possible?

     She didn’t know what to do first. Call her ex? Tell Dave? Tell Michael? Call the school?

     The doctor advised her to start treatment immediately, to let Dave and the school know and then handle everything else as needed. This was a lot to deal with, and Dave needed treatment as quickly as possible. Once they established that, they could do everything else in small bites.

     Victoria asked the inevitable question. “How bad is this? I mean, it’s not—he’d not going to die?”

     The doctor answered gently, “This is bad, Victoria. I have to be honest with you.”

     “But you’ve had other patients who—” She couldn’t bring herself to say it.

     “No, actually,” the doctor said as gently as possible. “I’ve never had a patient this young develop cancer.”

     “Well, but you’ve had other patients who did? How did they do?”

     The doctor sighed. “Let’s get Dave into treatment as soon as possible.”

     Victoria found her voice. “How bad is this? What are we looking at, here?”

     The doctor looked her as kindly as possible. “We’ll see how he responds to treatment. Some people do incredibly well with chemotherapy and radiation. They’ve beaten it. But it’s going to be hard on his system, and we’ll do our best.”

     “Surgery?” Victoria asked. She was thinking she needed to stop at the library as soon as she left the office and pick up every book they had on cancer. 

     “I’m afraid Dave’s growth is too big for surgery,” the doctor answered. “It’s too deeply rooted. We couldn’t get it all, even if we went in. But chemotherapy has done some really good things. You’ll be surprised. He won’t have an easy time of it, but we’ll do our best.”

     Victoria stood up and shook hands with the doctor. She didn’t know that the tears were pouring down her face; she felt nothing but an emptiness deep inside her. She had a million things to do and no idea where to start. But she would do whatever she had to do.

     In the car on the way to the library, she snapped on the radio, hardly knowing what she was doing. “Here it is again,” the bright-voiced DJ announced. “It’s ‘Wrapped in Gauze’, the remake, by the legendary GooseBumps, and everyone’s asking for it this week. Enjoy!”

     She didn’t know when the song began that she was singing along with it. She had no idea how she got from the doctor’s office to the library. But she did know that when she pulled into the tree-shaded parking lot ten minutes later, her voice was hoarse, she was almost blind with tears, and somehow, she felt a million percent better.

*     *     *

     Dave handled the news very well, though Victoria broke down, even as her friends tried to tell her it wasn’t good for Dave to see her like this. She tried to apologize to him, choking on her tears, and Dave put his arms around her and said, “It’s okay, Mom. Don’t worry.”

     That made her cry harder. 

     Michael was speechless and almost as upset as she was. He hadn’t hugged his brother since Dave learned to walk and started annoying him, but he wrapped Dave in his long bony arms and hugged him until Dave pulled away.

     Long after Dave went to sleep, she sat with Michael in their little kitchen. The size of it no longer mattered. The fact that it never got the morning sun and was often gloomy no longer mattered. The old wallpaper she wanted to replace but couldn’t afford to replace no longer mattered. Suddenly, every problem she’d ever had narrowed to one: Dave.

     “He’ll be all right, Mom,” Michael said to her. He was patting her hand while she tried to drink a mug of hot coffee, but she kept spilling it out of the mug. She wanted to fix him a sandwich or something to eat, but he said he couldn’t swallow anything. He looked pale and suddenly much older, though he was only three years older than Dave. She found herself praying that he would never get sick like this. It couldn’t happen twice in one family, could it?

     She hoped the stack of books she’d checked out of the library had answers. She hoped someone had answers.

     She’d had a terrible conversation with her ex that afternoon, before Dave came home from school. At first, he was mad at her for calling his office, as usual; he never liked her to call the office, even when they were married. Then he was heartsick at the news. He asked her repeatedly if she shouldn’t get a second opinion. She explained that the tests had already been done twice. He told her he wanted to bring in another specialist. Exhausted, finally, she told him to consult whomever he liked; she was starting treatment with Dave at once, and he’d better be sure the insurance was up to date.

     “I don’t care what it costs,” she told him. “Don’t bother me with that. I’ll spend whatever I have to. Nothing matters except getting him well. So don’t even think about cheaping out here, or you’ll regret it for the rest of your life.”

     Dave, the ebullient twelve-year-old who rode his bike too fast, played basketball every day, in season or out, and had a crush on a girl in his history class, charmed all the nurses at the hospital.  He wasn’t too sick to joke with them, and they adored him, bringing extra portions of the soup that was the only food he could keep down, and making excuses to slip into his room to say hello when he was awake.

 

About the Author
 
SUSAN SLOATE

 SUSAN SLOATE is the author or co-author of
more than 25 published books. This includes 3 editions of Forward to Camelot,
a time-travel thriller about the JFK assassination that became a #6 Amazon
bestseller, was honored in 3 literary competitions and was optioned by a
Hollywood company for film production. She also wrote the autobiographical
Broadway novel Stealing Fire, which became a #2 Amazon bestseller and Hot New
Release, and Realizing You (with Ron Doades), for which she invented a new
genre: the self-help novel.

Susan has also written young-adult fiction
and non-fiction, including the children’s biography Ray Charles: Find
Another Way, which won the silver medal in the 2007 Children’s Moonbeam
Awards. Mysteries Unwrapped: The Secrets of Alcatraz led to her 2009
appearance on the TV series MysteryQuest for The History Channel. She has also
been a sportswriter and a screenwriter, edited the popular Kyle & Corey
young-adult book series, managed two political campaigns and founded an
author’s festival to promote student literacy in her hometown outside
Charleston, SC. She has appeared in multiple volumes of WHO’S WHO IN
AMERICA, WHO’S WHO IN ENTERTAINMENT and WHO’S WHO AMONG AMERICAN
WOMEN.

Contact Links
Twitter: @Susan_Sloate

 

 

 

 

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